Plans are underway for the deployment of 60-70 MW or the equivalent of 160-220 MWh of i-BESS or rather independent battery electricity storage solutions in Burkina Faso in the coming years.
This plan is being developed by the government of the West African country through the Société Nationale d’électricité du Burkina Faso (Sonabel), which is the national electricity company of Burkina Faso with the support of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Noteworthy, in recent months, Burkina Faso has received several financing packages from private investors and international donors for the production of solar energy. Like wind power, solar energy is intermittent and only feeds the grid during the day. To solve this problem, the country intends to direct some of the funding to battery-based electricity storage systems that will meet demand after sunset.
How the battery electricity storage solutions in Burkina Faso will be deployed and their expectations
To deploy the i-BESS, the government will rely on the private sector that is already behind many solar projects in the country as part of a master plan adopted recently in a bid to increase renewables capacity in Burkina Faso energy mix for energy security, sustainability, affordability, and de-carbonization.
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Reportedly the West African state could save between US$ 1.5M and US$ 3.3M per annum by installing the aforementioned capacity of the i-BESS. Additionally, the systems could help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and energy imports whilst improving access to affordable energy to those living in energy poverty.
The World Bank Group’s private sector financing arm intends to continue supporting the deployment of the battery electricity storage solutions in Burkina Faso through the Conflict-Affected States in Africa (CASA) initiative.
